


My Mittens Were Made for You

by ZoeT1012



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chatting & Messaging, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Cute, Dates, Domestic Fluff, Everyone Is Gay, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gamer Kozume Kenma, Gay, Getting Together, Gingerbread Houses, Haikyuu Month, Haikyuu!! AU Week, Hinata Shouyou & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Humor, Ice Skating, KuroKen - Freeform, KuroKen Month, KuroKen Week, Light Angst, M/M, Mittens - Freeform, POV Kozume Kenma, Pro Volleyball Player Bokuto Koutarou, Pro Volleyball Player Kageyama Tobio, Pro Volleyball Player Kuroo Tetsurou, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Snow, Strangers to Lovers, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winter, no beta we die like men, they're so cute, very light angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28254789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeT1012/pseuds/ZoeT1012
Summary: Kenma truly loves Christmas, but he hates change.So what happens when changes happen right before Christmas?And what happens when Kenma is wrapped up into going on a date with this guy every day for a week until Christmas?A Christmas tale of a new beginning and new love.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	My Mittens Were Made for You

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this fic! It really means the world to me. I've worked on this fic for over 5 months, and I'm so happy that it's finally up for you all to read. 
> 
> This fic was actually supposed to be a drabble. I intended it to only be 1000 words, but we're sitting at over 12k and I'm incredibly proud of how far it's come. I really hope you enjoy this fic, and share my love (and Kenma's) love for Christmas! 
> 
> I've looked over this fic and edited it, but I'm sure there are more than a few mistakes, so please bear with me.l 
> 
> Happy reading! And much love <3 
> 
> Let the Christmas magic begin...

People, crowds, loud noises, chewing noises, cracking knuckles, bright light, the sun, and most importantly,  _ change _ .

These were just a couple things that were known about Kenma’s hatred. There’s most likely a plethora more. Kenma seemed to despise many things in life _ ,  _ finding himself easily annoyed by tons of different things. 

But there was one thing that Kenma couldn’t find anything bad about. 

_ Christmas.  _

Kenma loved Christmas. Really, truly loved Christmas. 

There was something about Christmas that made Kenma’s chest warm and his mind bright. Even though Christmas was full of large crowds and many go-happy people, Kenma liked it despite that. 

He loved sitting under a fluffy blanket, a pillow cushioning his head as he sipped on a mug of hot chocolate. 

And the  _ lights _ . They weren’t obnoxiously bright, or an eyesore. Instead, they looked like sparkles, like the galaxy had been taken and spread across the earth for a single day. 

A week before Christmas, Kenma, standing at 21 years old, sat on his bed in his small, rented apartment. It would’ve been perfect, except for the sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was missing. But this was something that Kenma did every year, and it didn’t seem like he had forgotten anything. 

Instead of looking at the universe for answers, Kenma assumed he was tired and that it was all due to fatigue. He found himself drifting off, just slightly missing the feeling of another person’s warmth.

When Kenma woke up the next day, that sinking feeling was still there, a yearn for sharing something with someone. Anyone at all. Kenma knew himself, knew that something was wrong, something was off, or that something was weird. 

But Christmas was near, the one time that Kenma knew he should and would be happy. 

It felt wrong. Something missing, something lost, something inevitably empty. But he didn’t know  _ what _ . So obviously, he continued on with his day, and went to grab everything for a perfect Christmas morning. He liked to be prepared.

His apartment was cosy, but bland. He liked to keep things simple, sticking to white, and blacks. It was safe to say he didn’t decorate or put much furniture in his home, except his gaming setup. 

A hand built pc, three monitors, a gaming chair, LED lights, mic and webcam. He had started streaming at 18 years old, and stuck to it. And at 21, he was still playing games, games were still practically his life. He would call it unfortunate if it weren’t for his love for games.

It would be a lie if Kenma said he wasn’t lazy to decorate. Buying furniture, matching it took far too much effort, all of which Kenma didn’t have the patience nor ounce of care in his body. 

So his apartment looked bland compared to the festive–to–be Christmas. 

Putting on sweatpants, a sweatshirt and a thick jacket, and making sure that his phone slipped into his right pocket, he grabbed his keys and glasses from the small plate near the door, slipped his shoes on and headed off to the grocery store. 

He slipped into the elevator with a press of the down button, his eyes stayed downcast as the elevator stopped and opened to allow another man to come in. Moving closer to the corner of the elevator, he tried his best to make himself smaller. He prayed that the other wouldn’t try and start a conversation.

“Sorry, this is random,” The man scratches his neck, facing the opposite way Kenma is. “Do you happen to have an extra pair of mittens?”

Kenma looked up at the man, who was maybe a foot taller than him, dressed in a thin jacket and hair going every which way. 

If this were any other time, Kenma would have denied that he had any extra mittens, and would have gone on with his day.

But this man was  _ attractive _ . And by that, he means  _ very _ . 

Kenma always carried an extra pair of mittens in his jacket pocket just in case, because he gets cold easily. Sighing, he put his hand into his pocket, his fingertips meeting with the extra mittens he knew were there. 

He handed them to the other man with his eyes looking down at his shoes still. 

“Thank you!” The man exclaimed, smiling brightly, he left out the now open elevator doors before Kenma could say anything else, a happy look on his face. 

In all honesty, Kenma was glad that he was able to help someone, it  _ is _ nearing Christmas, and Kenma believed that everyone deserved a little more light in their life. And well, those mittens were always a bit too big for him anyways.

The air was cold on Kenma’s face as he walked out the lobby’s sliding glass doors, his hands tucked themselves into his pockets and his feet walked on the uneven concrete with a steady rhythm. Winter was nice. At least, better than summer. Summer was hot with sweat and far too many people lingering around the entrances of stores. 

By the end of his visits to the different stores around his area, he ended up with a few bags filled with different things. 

Off the top of his head, there should be a large amount of assorted candy and chocolate, an extra pair of mittens, gifts for Hinata and Akaashi and a mini Christmas tree for decoration. Pleased with his purchases he went home.

When he got to his apartment door he could hear his phone start to play the soft jingle that’s his ringtone. Picking up, he balanced the phone on his shoulder while he fumbled with the keys to the door. 

“Hi Kenma!”

“Hey.” 

“Want to come over today?” Hinata’s voice came through the phone loud and clear. “I’ve got apple pie!”

How could Kenma say no to that? 

“Yeah, I’ll be over in like 20 minutes, I just got back from some shopping.”

“M’kay! See you!” 

Kenma hurriedly put the new items away before he headed out once more. 

Hinata’s house was farther away from where he was, meaning that he’d have to take the bus there and back. Kenma wasn’t a fan of buses, due to the cluster of people that stood and sat on it. But he’d rather not walk for an hour all the way there. He’s doing it for the apple pie, at least, that’s what he tells himself. 

He got to Hinata’s house in a matter of 15 minutes. Luckily, this time, he didn’t have any encounters with strangers who were in need of mittens in the elevator. Hinata’s apartment was cute but spacious. He lived with his boyfriend and was currently babysitting his younger sister’s cat. It’s a ginger cat, with a very cute face. But maybe it was just the cat lover in Kenma that made it have its appeal. 

Kenma sat down on the couch in the middle of the living room, legs crossing together tightly to keep his body warmer. 

“Akaashi’s coming soon, too! He just has to help Bokuto with something, though,” Hinata places a hand on his chin with a look of confusion. “I’m not quite sure what he said it was.” 

Right then is when they hear an echoing knock at the door, followed by the sound of light shuffling. 

Hinata rushed over to the door, unlocking the door and flicking the door wide open to reveal a very well dressed Akaashi. Akaashi was clad in a black trenchcoat, a white shirt, black skinny jeans and slacks. Well obviously he was more put together than Kenma is. Kenma just looked down at his sweatpants and sighed, dressing nicely wasn’t for him. 

“Hello Hinata, Kenma.” A nod from Kenma, and a happy “Hi!” from Hinata. 

Akaashi takes off his shoes carefully, before collapsing onto the couch, the same one Kenma was just snuggled up to. 

“Bokuto-san is such a handful.” Akaashi sighs and groans, and places his head in his hands. 

Kenma smiles, just a little bit, before asking, “What happened this time?”

“Oh just, you know, almost lighting the dorm on fire…”

“Woah! How’d he almost do that?” Hinata brightly asked, a little  _ too _ interested for Kenma’s liking.

Akaashi shakes his head and continues to say, “He thought that maybe he was a fire bender, and decided to start a fire, in the  _ dorm _ , and see if he could manipulate the fire,” Akaashi stands and takes off his coat. “Now, I was out, grabbing some coffee. So obviously I wasn’t there to stop him. I came home to a fire in the middle of our living room, and Bokuto moving his hands around it as if it would somehow cease to exist.”

Kenma snorts at the words, amused by Bokuto’s stupidity. Though it’s nothing out of the blue. He remembers about the time Bokuto attempted to dye the hair of a dog he was watching over, not his dog. Why anyone allowed Bokuto of all people to dog sit was beyond him. And the thought of Bokuto even trying to babysit made Kenma shudder. 

“Are you guys ready for Christmas?” Hinata asks, moving to take the articles of clothing off his recliner so he can sit. 

Kenma sat next to Akaashi with his knees pulled up and said. “Pretty much. Something seems,” He holds his hands out in front of him. “Like something is missing.” 

“Hot chocolate?”

“Apple pie!?!”

“No- I always have those things, Christmas or not.” Kenma’s hands were placed in his lap, unconsciously fiddling with his nails. 

Akaashi seemed to be thinking hard about Kenma’s problem, almost as if he could pull the answer out of thin air. 

Right then was when a loud ringing started to come from somewhere beside Hinata. The ginger picked up his phone with a bright smile. 

“Hi Kageyama!”

“Mhm. Mhm. I’m with Kenma and Akaashi right now.”

“Can you get me some chips?” Hinata broke away from his phone to ask the other two in the room what they wanted from the convenience store. 

“Alright, Kenma wants apple candy and Akaashi wants a croissant.”

“Okay! See you soon.” With that, the call ended, the phone being placed on the couch arm face down. “Sorry about that, Kageyama’s coming back now.” 

Akaashi held up his phone as well and said, “Bokuto’s coming, my apologies.”

“Better than leaving him alone to his own devices.” Kenma says. 

“You wouldn’t believe how right you are.” 

“You guys are coming over on Christmas, right?” Kenma asked, voice small. A tradition between the three was that they’d spend Christmas together. They watched movies, and drank hot chocolate. Sometimes they even ate as many candy canes as possible. It was their thing, and Kenma liked schedules, liked the usual. 

“Ah...” Hinata's voice. The two going silent. 

“I promised Bokuto I’d spend the day with him.”

“I promised Kageyama that I’d go see the light show with him.” 

There it was. 

“I’m so sorry Kenma, but we can’t break our promises. And, we promise to spend next Christmas with you.”

“Right, no, it’s alright. Spend time with your boyfriends. It’ll suck to be the fifth wheel anyways.” Kenma was hurt, he had to admit it. He’d spent almost every year since his 16th birthday with them, and now that a change was happening he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. 

The two boyfriends happen to come upon the apartment at the exact same time. They came in with a click of the lock and a squeak from the door. They left their jackets on the coat rack and made a beeline to their boyfriend. 

Kenma could feel that hollowness of his chest again, and god, was it getting annoying. He shakes his head, making his hair fall in front of his face again, and just waits for his two friends to remember he was there. 

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

“Oh right, Kenma. Here’s the candy.” There it was, Hinata smiled at him brightly, per usual and handed him the small bag. He thanked him quietly, and held lightly to the light green packaging. 

He continued to listen in on their conversations, not really joining in on either of them. 

He should’ve been over it by now, should’ve ignored the thoughts the moment he thought them the first time. But he couldn’t help but hear the small chant in the back of his head that prompted him to think that he didn’t belong here. That his friends didn’t want to put up with him. 

Kenma was tired of the thoughts, tired of the noises. He knew he wasn’t worthless, his friends had reassured him of that. But looking at how close they were with their boyfriends, he really thought that he wasn’t much of a friend to them anymore. 

Like he was merely filling a gap until the person found the right sized screw. 

He needed out. Their conversations were becoming louder, and even though they were talking in the same room as him, he kept thinking that he was out of place and they all knew it. 

Kenma stood, grabbing his jacket and pulling it tighter around his small frame before saying, “I’m going to head out. I’ll see you all soon.” 

“Bye Kenma!” Came Bokuto’s loud voice, and soon after followed everyone else’s goodbye’s. 

Closing the door of the apartment behind him, he deeply exhaled. He placed a small apple candy in his mouth, and made his way home. 

He focused on the flavour the entire time, his thoughts subduing with his focus. 

He never got to eat the apple pie. 

———

Next week is Christmas. The words are still ringing in his ears, and god, does he want to have a good Christmas. He just, doesn’t really know what to do. His friends won’t be there to share the couch with him, or lie under the soft blankets while a movie plays. 

Kenma hates change. Changes means things are different which means things that are never permanent. Like the seasons, except sometimes winter never comes back. He liked things that are familiar to him. Things that made him feel comfortable, things that made him feel like nothing could go wrong. That’s why he liked schedules, keeping to things that didn’t change. Because the more that things fell apart, the more that  _ he _ fell apart. 

This Christmas was going to be weird. 

It’ll be alright; he’s alone most of the time anyways. 

Instead of going straight home, he found his feet taking him down the sidewalk, where the stores lined up and the people trickled through. He never really did take time to admire the world around him. 

Clothing stores lined up side by side, sometimes sandwiching a bakery or a cafe. 

Kenma walked a while, coming across a cafe. He’d passed by many cafes on his walk, but this one caught his eye.

The entire place was surrounded by glass. Vines hung from the roof, making its way down to the ashy grey concrete. Flowers adorned the ceiling, branches snaked up the door, and a spread of petals lay softly near the front entrance. 

Now, the cafe wasn’t big. No larger than the average cafe size. But it was beautiful in its entirety. There was just something about it that made him want to take a picture, one that would be slipped into his wallet for later, or into his back pocket. 

He opened the door to the cafe slowly, flinching slightly as the doors bell rang. 

He was greeted by a happy “Welcome!” and weirdly familiar hair. Wait—familiar hair? 

“Hi again! What can I get for you?” Kenma had walked up to the register, hands buried deep within his pockets. 

“Hot chocolate and an apple pie… Please.” 

“Perfect. Can I get a name for that?”

“Kenma.” 

_ Kuroo.  _ His nametag had the name written in large cursive font. Even their aprons matched the cafe’s interior; the aprons being a mint green with white embroidered flowers. 

Kenma pulled out his wallet before having his hand pushed away. Looking up, Kuroo looked him straight in the eyes. They merely stared for a moment before Kenma cocked his head to the side in question. 

Kuroo grinned, stretching his arms out above his head, “It’s on me. For the mittens.” 

Man, this guy really resembles a cat for some reason. Kenma just couldn’t put his finger on why. Nodding, Kenma went to take a seat. 

The interior design of the cafe was an incredible match to the exterior. Leaves and plants hung from the ceiling, along with them was lavender. A vibrant hue of purple that blended in just right against the greens. The white accents made things feel so much more real, giving the place extra details. The chairs sleek, white, and the tables with that same shade of mint from the aprons. 

Kenma felt like he could take a nap in here, no problem. 

It wasn’t busy, multiple groups and couples sat at tables closer to the front door, and in front of the windows. Kenma ended up taking a seat near the back, more concealed from passerbyers. 

A few minutes later, Kuroo came to his table. Setting his hot chocolate and pie down, along with another cup that looked like coffee. 

“Is it alright if I sit here, as well?” 

Though confused about why a person like Kuroo would want to sit with him, he merely just shrugged. 

Kuroo untied and took off his apron, then folded it before putting it behind his back. He ran his fingers through his hair before taking a sip of his coffee. 

Kenma just observed the other as he took a bite out of his apple pie.  _ Oh wow, this is really good apple pie. _ Well, that gives him another reason to come here again. Not that there was a first reason, or other reason at all—nope. 

“My name is-”

“Kuroo.”

“Huh?” Kuroo looked at the other in slight disbelief, eyebrow going up. “How’d you know?

Kenma points to the apron behind his back, “Your name tag.” 

“Right. I forgot about that. Yes, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, and you are––Oh mitten giver?”

“Kozume Kenma, you can call me Kenma.” Scrunching his nose he went back to eating his pie. This is some really heavenly pie. 

“Oh, of course, the name I wrote on your cup.”

The aroma of coffee filled Kenma’s nostrils, filling him with a sense of serenity. He wasn’t the biggest fan of coffee itself. It made his anxiety act up, making him way more shaky than normal. Sure, he didn’t mind the taste. But it just wasn’t very great for his health. That being said, the scent made it easier for him to focus, rather than freak out about the fact that a good looking barista is  _ literally  _ sitting across from him at the  _ same _ table. 

The silence wasn’t bad. Kenma quite enjoyed silence, really. He was just surprised that Kuroo wasn’t in any way awkward around him. Sure he wasn’t a very intimidating person, but sitting at a table with someone you barely even know had to be at least a little bit odd.

Maybe that was just him, maybe other people had zero problems talking to new people. Maybe speaking to a stranger wasn’t odd for other people, maybe they didn’t have to get the courage to speak before doing so. People are hard, social situations are difficult. 

“Are you free to stay and talk for awhile?” 

Kenma looks up from his drink, a little surprised. “...Yeah, I’m free.” 

The taller man’s face lights up, a large grin spreading across his cheeks. “Perfect. I want to get to know you better.” 

Quiet, Kenma just finishes off his apple pie, relishing in the tasty goodness. Why Kuroo wants to get to know someone like  _ him  _ was a mystery. Always with the ‘someone like him’, it’s become a habit to believe so. He was unassuming, dressed in normally winter gear, with comfy clothing. The most that would have drawn attention to him was his eyes. And he doubted that Kuroo’s talking to him due to his interest in his  _ eyes, _ of all things. 

“So pudding head, what are the things you like to do?”

Ignoring the nickname, Kenma hums and says, “Gaming,” in a low voice. “I mostly play games.” 

“A gamer? You know what, you do kind of look like a gamer.” Kenma just scrunched his nose at the statement. He didn’t look like the type of person to drink Monsters and scream into his mic all day, does he?

“Don’t give me that look! I just mean that you seem to be good with your hands.” The other man said, practically reading his mind. 

Puzzled, Kenma just eyed the other. Kuroo just gives a pointed look to Kenma’s right hand. 

One of which was spinning the fork that he was using earlier. Huh, he must’ve been doing that without realizing it. It was a habit that had followed him from high school. Twiddling his pens and pencils constantly, it was just something that he unconsciously did. 

Sighing, Kenma finished off his hot chocolate, licking at the left over drink on his lips. Just barely missing the others eyes drift slightly down from his eyes. 

They sit in a nice silence, a silence that’s comfortable. One that kind of hugged Kenma in a way. Almost like an oversized sweater. It was peaceful, and Kenma couldn’t do anything but enjoy it. The cafe wasn’t loud, only slightly buzzing with the faint conversations from the other tables. But he had to admit that it was quite lovely. He could get used to this. 

There was something about Kuroo that screamed comfort. There were no adjustments that Kenma had to take before enjoying the silence, nothing that made him hesitant. It wasn’t odd for Kenma to sit in silence with his friends. But it just didn’t happen often anymore. 

Hinata was always speaking up a storm, and Akaashi spoke more than he would ever admit to speaking. And after a while, their boyfriends had started to join them in their gatherings. Soon the silence that accompanied them was replaced with loud conversations. Don’t get him wrong, he loved listening to his friends talk. But, sometimes he just needed the quiet. 

After being in his head for longer than he had meant to, he realized that he hadn’t asked Kuroo what he enjoyed doing. 

Taking a small inhale he asked, “Uhm, Kuroo. What do you like to do?”

He was graced with a large smile. Kuroo stuffed his hands back into his pockets before saying, “I go to University, so lots of studying. And I’m on my University’s volleyball team.”

Humming once more, Kenma looked out the large window beside him. He rested his head onto his hand, before merely observing the people who walked by. 

“You guys should put up Christmas decorations.” He said abruptly, the words falling out of his mouth without his consent. 

“You’re a Christmas fan, aren’t you?” 

Kenma turns back to the black haired barista, slightly raising an eyebrow at the man. Moving his head downwards in a singular nod he says, “Obviously. Are you?”

“Of course! Christmas is like the redemption of all the bad days of the year. It makes up for everything,” A pause. “Okay, not  _ everything. _ But, you get where I’m coming from.”

Kuroo’s eyes are bright as he speaks, and his hands move in gestures to accompany the highly excited words. Kuroo kind of seems like a star. Bright, kind of blinding. But somehow subtle. Like he belongs where he is. 

Stars blend in with the night sky. They tend to fit perfectly amongst the other stars and planets, making the galaxy seem that much more gorgeous. 

Kuroo seemed like a star. Someone who belonged right where he was, walking the cracked sidewalks, taking change from a customer, and sitting right across from Kenma on this particular day. 

Perfect wasn’t the right word. It was good. Really nice. Kenma couldn’t explain it. Even though it was weird that he just started talking to Kenma, it was right. It felt really right. And that feeling in Kenma’s chest didn’t dissipate with time. Instead, it just became more apparent the more he watched the other speak. Just watched the others eyes light up while he talks about Christmas. 

Kuroo talks about his mom, and that he normally spends Christmas with his best friend. Very much alike to Kenma. And how they do different things each Christmas. Those being things that are far from traditional Christmas festivities. Like buying ornaments and sneaking into one of those Christmas tree stores, and placing ornaments all over them. Or when they went to a lake, grabbed giant pieces of ice and wrote things on them in sharpie before smashing them. 

All of his stories were eventful. Opposite to what Kenma’s Christmases looked like. But nonetheless were nice to listen to. 

“Ah, but this year, he’s not spending Christmas with me. Said he promised his boyfriend he’d spend it with him,” An exasperated sigh followed. “It’s okay though, I need a quiet Christmas for once.” 

Well, that’s an odd coincidence. Not only did Kuroo say that he was going to be alone on Christmas, but he also admitted that his friend was spending Christmas with his  _ boyfriend _ . Now, this could obviously be a coincidence, but Kenma didn’t want to just assume. 

“My friends also aren’t spending Christmas with me… Because they promised their boyfriends.” Kenma’s voice was small, spoken almost under his breath. 

The man across from him quirks an eyebrow up, then leans in closer, his eyebrows furrowing. 

“Your friend’s boyfriend, or your friend’s  _ boyfriends _ on three.”

“One. Two. Three.” 

“Bokuto and Kageyama. 

“Akaashi and Hinata.” 

“Well that explains it,” Kuroo cackles, loudly might he add. “That also explains why Bokuto’s been hanging out with Kageyama more often.”

“Small world.” 

“Very small world.” The other says with a nod. 

Well that confirmed it. Kuroo was his two best friend’s boyfriends best friend. God, that was a mouthful, and he hadn’t even said that outloud. 

Again, the two fall under the peaceful silence. But Kenma’s getting antsy without his psp or gaming set up, and he knew for a fact that his phone was dying. 

He was about to speak up about leaving when the other said, “Spend Christmas with me? 

The phrase made Kenma snort out loud. This guy was presumptuous, and very confident. 

“I don’t really know you.” 

“Right, right,” Pondering on the thought it took a couple seconds before Kuroo thought of something. Almost like a lightbulb blinking on, on top of his head. “Go out with me every day of this week. Six dates, including this one, and you can decide whether I’m Christmas worthy. How about that?” 

And even though Kenma really only met the beheaded man a mere couple of hours ago, he really didn’t have the heart to say no. It was also completely  _ not  _ because he feels like he’s known him for years. 

Kenma eyes the other before giving a sharp nod, “We’ll see.” He stands from his seat. He picks up his empty plate and cup, and continues to leave. The bell chimes behind him as he walks out. 

Once he’s out of the cafe, he checks his pocket for the napkin he knew was there. 

Kuroo’s number sat nicely against the soft tissue, written in blue pen. Kenma had pretended not to notice when the other had scribbled out his number while he was looking out the window. 

If Kenma was going to be speaking to him again, it’d be of his own free will. 

Kenma tossed and turned as he fell asleep that day, replaying the conversation he had with Kuroo over and over again.

———

At exactly 7pm the next day, Kenma snapped.

He had been distracted his entire stream, thinking about what he should’ve said instead of the things he did say, or what he should’ve said before backing out. He knew it already happened, but he couldn’t help but have regrets. Always with the regrets.

He had been streaming for about 5 hours, and within those 5 hours, he’d managed to think about the black haired man he had met the day before over 20 times. 

Even a thought of the sight of Kuroo made Kenma’s chest hurt, squeezing in a way he only felt when he was anxious. But  _ this?  _ This was different somehow. The other man did make him anxious, yes. But that was due to the fact that he hasn’t spoken to a stranger—in real life— in a really long time. 

But Kuroo was weirdly comfortable. Besides the fact that he’s only really spoken to him for a couple hours, it just felt  _ right. _

And Kenma didn’t like it. 

With new feelings comes changes and with changes comes differences in daily life and differences in daily life ruins Kenma’s idea of neat and organized and scheduled. He can’t have that. 

In the end, he impulsively texts Kuroo 10 minutes after thinking he wouldn’t contact him ever again. He would say it was done against his will if it wasn’t him doing it. 

7:00  _ Kenma _ : hey 

7:00  _ Kenma _ : it’s kenma 

Kenma watches as the napkin with the bright blue pen marks flutters slightly on the desk, corner lifting lightly as Kenma shifts. He’s still seated in his gaming chair, headphones wrapped around his neck and monitor still on. 

Kenma doesn’t expect for him to answer so quickly, but a moment later he feels his phone vibrate, taking his focus away from the screen sitting in front of him. 

7:02  _ 1-800-**** _ : Oh hi! I wasn’t sure if you were going to contact me

7:02  _ 1-800-**** _ : What’s up? I’m bored and hungry. 

Scrunching his nose, Kenma adds Kuroo to his contacts. 

7:04  _ Kenma _ : nothing. hungry too 

7:05  _ Bedhead man _ : Perfect. Meet me at this address

* _ Bedhead man _ has sent you a location* 

7:07  _ Kenma _ : do i even get a choice ?

7:08  _ Bedhead man _ : no :)

That’s how Kenma ended up at a small soba restaurant clad in sweatpants, a thick knit sweater, winter jacket and beanie. Looking none the more displeased to have left his sweet, warm home. Okay, so maybe he was exaggerating about how he didn’t want to be here. He knew that deep down, or well, closer to the surface, that he actually quite wanted to see Kuroo again. 

Opening the glass sliding doors, Kenma lightly lifted the curtain to the side to walk in. His senses filled with the smells of fresh food and the light smell of sweet alcohol. It was warm inside the restaurant, not super small, but definitely not big. It was homey. Kenma quite liked it, really. 

He scanned the restaurant before his eyes lay on Kuroo’s hair. God, his hair. And oh look, now the grin. The taller man waved at him, gesturing for him to come over and take a seat. 

Kenma falls into the seat across from Kuroo with a huff. He knows he looks like a giant marshmallow–cloud–puff–thing, but what does he care? He’s warm, and that’s good enough for him. 

“Hello there, pudding head.”  _ God that grin of his.  _

Kenma grunts a hello as he has a struggle with taking off his jacket. He knew how to take a jacket off, yes, but with his hands kind of unavailable due to the fact that he was a giant puff, he had a hard time trying to pull his zipper down. 

Kenma is in the middle of tugging his zipper down, his hands struggling to do what they’re needed to do when he feels hands brush his hair back. 

Frozen, Kenma takes the time to look up at Kuroo. Close up, he can see the length his eyelashes are, the exact colour of his eyes, the creases between his eyebrows and the way he slightly bites his bottom lip as he focuses. And if that didn’t make Kenma’s heart beat a little bit faster, he didn’t know  _ what _ would. 

Kuroo helps unzip his jacket, and helps him out of it. Soon leaving it to drape on the back of his chair. Kenma mumbles a thank you before awkwardly settling back in his seat. 

He stares at the table for longer than he means to. If a hole could be burned into the table with his mere eyes, it would have happened right then and there. A wapping hole through the thick wood, and Kenma knew it would be bound to happen. 

It’s awkward. Weird? Kenma doesn’t know how to explain it, but he knows he thinks it’s awkward enough. Immersed in silence, Kenma looks over the menu. Pretending to read it over and over again, when he already knew what he wanted. Ordering would be a different story. 

Kuroo breaks the silence by asking, “What are you going to order?”

Kenma looks down at his chest for a moment before answering, not quite comfortable enough to look him dead in the eye quite yet, “Uh… I guess the Kake Soba.” 

The other nods, “Perfect, I’ll order for you.” He smiles again, that wide, glorious smile. And maybe it breaks something in Kenma. Maybe it makes him feel things he’s never felt. But it feels so, so right. 

Then Kenma realizes what he said. Kuroo? Ordering for him? Without him asking? Was it that obvious that he didn’t want to order, or was it just that Kuroo did it normally?

He thinks to himself for a minute before telling his mind to stop for a moment, and just be glad that he would not be the one ordering. 

After that the silence sort of lifted, the two of them talked about what they were doing earlier on in the day and Kuroo talked about how Bokuto almost lit the gym on fire. How? A magnifying glass, one that Kuroo claims had no reason to be there, but who knows with Bokuto. It was left to sit on top of a hoodie Bokuto tossed off at the beginning of practice. 

Right under the hot sun. 

“Least to say, Bokuto’s hoodie was very, very hot after that. And very much on fire.” 

Kenma takes a sip of his tea to suppress his laugh, straightening his back once he sees the waitress walking towards the table. 

Kuroo smiles his signature smile and tells her what they’d both like. It was weirdly relieving having someone order for him again. He never really goes out to eat. 

But he wouldn’t mind getting used to this. 

‘The bedhead man’ as Kenma calls him, observes him from across the table. Looking at him intently. If Kenma didn’t know better, he would say the other was scrutinizing him. But he doubted it. 

“Do you play volleyball?”

Kenma tilts his head to the right at the question, “Yeah. Not much anymore, but I was a setter in high school.” 

“That’s sick—awesome? You should set for me some time; I’m a middle blocker.” Kuroo’s eyes always brighten at the talk of volleyball. Kenma wouldn’t mind talking about volleyball for the rest of his life, so long as Kuroo looked like that all the time. 

Was he thinking about what Kuroo would look like playing volleyball, all arms, legs and sweat. Yes, yes he was. Was he doing it on purpose? No. But his mind loved to toy with him. 

“Maybe one day, I haven’t played for a long time.” 

“That’s alright! The gym is open every day during certain time slots. I’m sure you can come play with my friends and even yours,” He winks. “I know they’re not half bad at volleyball either.” 

From there, the two spent the night talking over dinner. Kenma talked about his streaming and how he got there. (He’s just addicted to games, and thought making money off of it wouldn’t be so bad) And how he’s always enjoyed playing video games his whole life. It was odd sharing this part of his life with someone new. His friends have known him since before he started streaming, from before he started doing everything he did. There wasn’t need for much explaining with them. 

He thinks it’s kind of nice to have someone new to talk to. 

Kuroo talks about other things that have occurred on the team he’s on. Even taking the time to introduce him to some of the players on his team. 

There’s Oikawa, Kuroo calls him a princess. Iwaizumi, Oikawa’s… Babysitter? Bokuto, obviously. Kageyama, also obviously. Atsumu, Sakusa, Suna. There’s more, but it was hard to remember names when they were kind of being thrown at you. He figured he’d put names to face sooner or later and then maybe he’d be able to identify them. Though, he quite doubted it. 

There was something about Kuroo that made Kenma want to listen. That made him want to know his mind inside and out, to carry it, caress it. He couldn’t put his finger on why. 

The restaurant was cozy, and Kenma opened up to Kuroo easily. There was no reason not to, no voice in the back of his head that screamed at him to stop talking. Despite thinking that people always thought the worst of him, the expressions on Kuroo’s face showed that he actually cared about what Kenma was talking about, and well, that was enough for him. 

———

The date—was that considered a date? Yeah, right?—ended smoothly. Kenma had effortlessly fallen asleep that night, bundled in his warmest clothing, he felt secure and fell asleep without any complications. 

The next morning Kenma woke up to two text notifications on his phone. 

7:00:  _ Bedhead man _ : Good morning !

7:00:  _ Bedhead man _ : Kitten^ 

9:57: Kenma: ? 

9:57: Kenma: why in the world were you up that early

9:58:  _ Bedhead man _ : I’m always up that early

9:59:  _ Bedhead man _ : And you’re like a kitten hah 

Reading the text notification that slid from the top of his phone screen, Kenma went back to lying on his back, his forearm now covering his eyes. This guy was going to be the death of him. 

10:01: Kenma: oh god

10:01: Kenma: ur a morning person

10:03:  _ Bedhead man _ : How about we go for a breakfast date?

10:04: Kenma: i think im tired of ur face already

10:04:  _ Bedhead man _ : Get used to it kitten

10:05:  _ Bedhead man _ : You’ll be seeing a lot of it ;) 

10:06: Kenma: gross. i’ll meet u in 20

*Kenma has sent a location* 

Kenma climbed out of bed with a groan, he slept really well that night despite him curling into a ball during the night and waking up with an aching shoulder. 

He stands from his bed and gets ready in the bathroom. Brushing his teeth with expertise he leaves the bathroom feeling like a pro. 

These are lies. He brushes his teeth as he normally does, and he leaves the bathroom feeling the magnetic pull to his bed become even stronger than before.

Running his fingers through his slightly tangled hair, he maneuvers himself around his room as he makes his way to the closet. 

Pulling on a black turtleneck, grey sweatpants and a light jacket he glares at his shoes as he puts them on. His jacket comes after and soon he’s leaving his apartment with his keys in pocket and phone in hand. Did he hear his bed calling for him still? Yes. Yes indeed. 

But everyone makes sacrifices. This is just one of them. 

“This is not a sacrifice Kenma!” Kuroo’s cackle greets him. “You should be happier to see me than to go back to the bed you so gracefully slept on for  _ at least _ 6 hours.” 

Kenma had gotten on the subway a couple stops back and was quietly seated in one of the empty seats before said black haired man decided to ‘grace’ him with his presence. Kenma took note of the station Kuroo got on the subway from, storing it away for later. It wasn’t quite far, 2 stops away from the area of Kenma’s apartment. 

Kuroo’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and his hands rubbed together to create warmth. Kenma turned his head slightly as he realized Kuroo still had the mittens he had given him prior to their meeting in the cafe, and he was wearing them right then and there. 

Moving his attention to the ground he says, “My bed is better than all things in life. No exceptions.” 

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“You’re a liar. There has to be something better.”

_ Beat _ .

“... Apple pie.” 

“There you go.”

Kenma huffs at the other, feet moving back and forth. 

The subway shook slightly on the tracks as they went on. The vibrations acted like a nice lull to Kenma, and if Kenma hadn’t woken up 20 minutes prior, he probably would’ve been rocked to sleep by the steady hum of the subway. 

There were more than a few people on the subway, scattered in the seats. It wasn’t rush hour, so it wasn’t packed to the brim with people. It was lovely, really. A faint glow from the sun shines through the windows and Kenma is left to look out the window behind him, watching as the sun kisses the snow.  _ Beautiful _ . 

The subway makes it to the next stop quickly, and the two of them stand swiftly from their seats despite their thick coats, making their way off the subway and onto the subway station. The two walk in a sweet silence as they make their way into the small diner. 

Kenma loved the diner for one main reason. Their  _ pancakes _ .

So when the two of them are stripped of their winter attire, seated ever so gracefully in the cushioned seats and Kuroo asked what he wanted, Kenma automatically said chocolate chip pancakes. 

“What do you recommend?” Came Kuroo’s voice. 

Pretending to think, he says “Pancakes.” Kuroo looks at him as if waiting for an explanation. “Their pancakes are heaven and hell at the same time. That is all I will say.”

And for some reason, Kuroo took that answer as valid and ordered himself a stack of pancakes and bacon. Incredible. Maybe Kenma should’ve gone into marketing. 

The two of them made small talk as they waited for their food, talking about their morning routine. Mostly about how Kuroo wakes up so early. God knows Kenma could never. But Kuroo states that he’s always been an early riser. Then he starts to talk about why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 

As Kenma takes that into account, he wonders why the other hadn’t had breakfast himself if he had woken at 7 am. He most likely knew—assumed—Kenma was going to agree with him stating him to breakfast and had waited for Kenma to wake up before eating first thing in the morning like the other normally did. 

The food came out hot and fresh, small tendrils of smoke coming from the two plates of pancakes. His stomach made a growling nose and Kenma scrunched his nose at it, willing it to be quiet. 

Kenma observed the taller’s expression as he took the first bite of his breakfast. 

“Holy shit,” His eyes practically  _ sparkled _ . Just like in all those animes Kenma has seen. “This is—you were so right. This  _ is _ heaven and hell.” 

Groaning, Kuroo continued to indulge himself. Kenma couldn’t stop his cheeks from becoming warm as he bit into his own pancake, Kuroo’s noises and happy expression made Kenma’s chest feel warm and he decided that he wanted to get to know it better. So instead of showing that little ball of warmth, Kenma embraced it and relished in the feeling. 

Okay, but these pancakes were actually so good. 

The two enjoyed their breakfast in a sweet silence. The quiet settled over them, and neither of them minded. 

The two parted ways after breakfast, but not before Kuroo stopped them both from leaving.

“Tomorrow—uh… Do you want to go ice skating with me? There’s a really big outdoor rink near my apartment.” 

Kenma just nods without objection. He hasn’t gone figure skating for a very long time, and even though he’d probably fall on his ass a hundred times it didn’t really matter. Kuroo was going to be there if he fell anyways. 

They bid farewell, Kuroo going the opposite way from Kenma. Kenma made his way back to the subway station, going back to the comfort and warmth of his home. He wasn’t planning to stream today, but he kind of felt like it now. If only to take his mind off of things. 

After the stream that day Kenma got a text message from Akaashi asking to call. Ensuring that his phone was on vibrate (which he knew it was, per usual) and preparing himself for the call, he typed in an okay. 

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Do you want to come over later? Hinata’s coming over with Kageyama again, and Bokuto’s here. I’m making some fish and other things.” 

“Oh…” He thought about whether he should go for a second.  _ Do I really want to be intruding on not one, but  _ two _ couples?  _ He thought, staring at a small pencil mark on his desk. 

“No, that’s alright. I’ve had a lot of human interaction today, I’m probably going to get into bed soon.” 

“The stream or someone else?”

He hesitated before saying, “Both.”

Kenma could hear Akaashi’s smile through the speaker pressed to his ear. “You must tell me about this sometime, then.” 

Kenma nods to himself, forgetting that Akaashi needed a verbal response. “Of course.”

“Alright then, I’ll let you be. Bye Kenma.” 

“Bye, ‘kaashi.”

He missed hanging out with Hinata and Akaashi, missed when it was just the three of them. Without their distractions or anyone else. Missed being able to open and go in and out of the others apartments as he pleased, just as they used to.

Now? Not so much. Both of them were more private about their lives, they had boyfriends for god’s sake! If anything, it was understandable. Understandable, though, kind of lonely. 

It was weird not hearing from them all the time, he was used to Hinata’s constant texting and Akaashi’s random texts. 

Their friendship wasn’t one that was easily broken, and Kenma didn’t think that it’d ever be abolished anytime soon. But it still felt odd to see such a big shift. 

But they both looked really, truly happy. And that was enough to make Kenma say fuck all these feelings he has, because knowing that they’re living happily meant everything to him. 

And maybe he’s finding his happiness somewhere here too. 

———

The following day, Kenma found himself wrapped up in winter attire (again). Except this time, the shoes that were on his feet were not winter boots, but rather ice skates. 

He sat on a bench and waited for his companion to come back with his skates. He also may be waiting for Kuroo to help him. Just, a little—he totally wasn’t struggling whatsoever. 

“Why are you having a fight with your laces?” What is up with Kuroo and shit eating grins? He doesn’t get it. 

“Urm... They weren’t cooperating?” 

“Ah, as all shoelaces do,” Kuroo placed his skates beside Kenma on the bench, and kneeled in front of him. “I’ll do it.”

The other laced his skates with expertise, fingers weaving past each other, leaving the white shoelaces to sit neatly in a knotted bow. Once Kuroo finishes the second bow he looks up at Kenma with a smile. 

And has Kenma said how handsome this guy is? Because wow. Just  _ wow _ . Kuroo was all chiseled jawline, bright eyes and shining teeth. He was incredibly good looking.  _ What do I look like next to him? _

“Okay! You’re all set. I’m going to get these on quickly, hold on just a minute.” 

Kenma waits patiently as Kuroo laces his skates, observing the other people around them. This skating rink—more like frozen lake—was quite large, and because of it, there weren’t many people around. A family and a couple was off to the far left and a couple stragglers were skating around the area. 

Popular radio music played from the speakers connected to the lampposts and Kenma quite liked the atmosphere. It wasn’t loud or packed with people, which wasn’t what Kenma was expected. He thought that it’d be loud and there’d be lots of people, but he was wrong. 

Kuroo stood from his seat on the bench, holding a hand out for Kenma to grab. 

Okay so maybe Kenma has never been ice skating before. He  _ may  _ have failed to mention it. And he  _ may _ have fallen the moment he stood up. 

Instead of meeting the hard concrete underneath him, Kenma was met with a puffy winter jacket.  _ Kuroo’s  _ winter jacket, precisely, and  _ Kuroo’s  _ arms. The taller had a hand wrapped around Kenma’s waist and the other placed directly on top of Kenma’s head. 

_ Warm _ . Very, very warm. That was all Kenma could process. Oh, and the rapid pace of his beating heart. That too. 

Kenma doesn’t really get much physical contact, hasn’t for a long while. And Kuroo’s touch feels so right. He doesn’t quite want to move. 

“You alright?” Kuroo’s concerned voice breaks him out of his trance. He hums as a response and slowly moves out of his embrace. 

Kenma notices that Kuroo never lets go of his hand. He doesn’t let go of it either. 

———

Their date comes to a stop far faster than Kenma had anticipated. The time had passed by like nothing with the two of them pressed against each other’s side. Kenma hadn’t meant to be so close to the other, but after a very nasty fall, accompanied by none other than Kuroo’s obnoxious cackle, they ended up stuck together. 

Kuroo was far more than decent at skating, and was able to help Kenma through the basics. And by the end of their date, Kenma was able to skate on his own without gripping his gloved hands into Kuroo’s puffy winter jacket. 

Their proximity—even with their winter jackets—was enough to make Kenma shiver. It was different being so close to someone physically. Hinata was a naturally touchy person, but after being friends with him so long, he put a pause on physical contact with him as often as he used to. And Akaashi wasn’t a very physical friend, he relied more on emotional connection and liked showing his appreciation through compliments and gifts. 

But the light touches that Kuroo grazed him with were welcomed. Kenma guessed that Kuroo’s love language was touch. Even if the other didn’t know it, it wasn’t surprising to Kenma, with the other constantly seeking skin to skin action. 

That leads Kenma to his current predicament. 

Kuroo holding his hand. 

Kenma had no idea how to hold himself, how hard to grip the hand placed in his, what to do when holding someone’s hand and— _ was his hand incredibly cold or incredibly sweaty _ ? 

Pretending to be completely and utterly calm, he just keeps his hand in Kuroo’s as the two walk to the train station. Kuroo insisted that he saw Kenma off, because he was ‘oh so much a gentleman.’ 

Kenma allowed it, and the two currently walked in a peaceful silence. 

“What do you want to do tomorrow?”

Kenma waited a couple seconds before answering with a question, “Are you really going to go through the whole ‘a date every day until Christmas’ thing?”

“Well, I have to sweep you off your feet somehow!” There he goes again. Kuroo’s eyes literally  _ shine _ when he says that. The light from the street lamps project onto his hair and his face, and Kenma can see the shadow of his eyelashes. He’s quite literally beautiful. Beautiful in his own nature. And to have him think that he hasn’t already swept him off his feet, than he was dearly and utterly wrong. 

Kenma has started to tend to the tangles in his hair when Kuroo says, “How about you come over to my place?” He could hear the smile in his voice without even looking up. 

“I don’t do sex on first, second, third, or fourth date.” Kenma deadpans. 

“So… about the fifth date…” Kenma’s mouth turns up at the statement. The two are almost to the train station, the bustle of people walking to and from beside them is just one indication. 

“We can do Christmas stuff, stay warm and all that. And I’m getting pretty tired of the crowds lately.” That was a lie, and Kenma knew it. Kuroo liked the outdoors, he could tell blatantly. The look on Kuroo’s face always screams that he loves going out and doing things. Kenma’s pretty sure that he says that only because he knows  _ he _ isn’t a fan of the crowds. 

And if that doesn’t get him a point higher, he doesn’t know what does. 

Kenma instead just voices his agreement, telling him to send the address. He wasn’t streaming or doing anything tomorrow, so he was free to call him whenever he’d like. 

The two parted ways, and Kenma watched Kuroo’s frame wave as him from afar before he turned around and went into the mess of lights and crow of people in the blink of an eye.

———

The next date was different from their other ones. It felt more… intimate in a way.    


It kind of made Kenma realize that it was actually happening. That he was  _ actually _ going on dates with this very good looking guy, and he might have a  _ relationship _ at the end of it. Now  _ that _ was a shocker. 

So Kenma woke up with a fast heartbeat, and a fear of doing something stupid. Lovely, just like any other day of his life. 

Instead, he decided that maybe, just _mayb_ e he’ll be a bit productive. So he got ready, his time putting on whatever comfy knit sweater he could find, and went to go get some stuff for the two of them to eat. 

9:57: Kenma: you ok with korean food? 

10:05:  _ Bedhead man _ : Oh sorry, didn’t see this. Go for it, I’m not picky 

10:06: Kenma: ok, send your address

10:07:  _ Bedhead man _ : Demanding, demanding. 

* _ Bedhead man has sent you a location*  _

10:08: Kenma: I’ll be there in like 30 

10:08:  _ Bedhead man:  _ Okay! 

Kenma ordered the food from his phone, walking to pick it up. He grabbed it from one of his favourite Korean restaurants, and then hailed a cab over to Kuroo’s place. He didn’t really feel like walking to the station holding plastic bags with takeout inside. 

Kenma was in the cab for about 20 mins, lulled into a soft state of mind by the rev of the engine and the soft hum and vibration of the car. He doesn’t normally take cabs, the trains were fine enough as they were. He just wasn’t a fan of the close proximity to the people around him. Cabs were alright, and the driver never really speaks to him as long as he has headphones in, so it’s pretty serene just looking out the windows as they drive along. 

He makes it to Kuroo’s apartment and gets out of the car with a murmured thank you. 

Kuroo’s apartment is  _ nice. _ And he means  _ nice, nice _ . Like, polished glass surrounding the lobby, and pristine marbled floors. Kenma would say he looked very out of place with the takeout gripped in his right hand, and his comfortable attire. 

Kuroo  _ did _ say he was a professional volleyball player. This means he makes a good amount of money, holy. 

That means that  _ Bokuto _ made a lot of money. Akaashi and Bokuto, rich couple goals. 

Not quite knowing what to do with himself, and contemplating whether or not he should ask the front desk for assistance, he opens his phone to text Kuroo about what to do. Instead, he realizes that Kuroo was already a step ahead of him. 

10:30:  _ Bedhead man _ : Oh yeah, type in this code into the elevator when you get there. It’ll take you to my floor. My apartment number is 575! 

10:30:  _ Bedhead man _ : No interaction needed ;)

This man knew him far too well. He would say it was concerning, but he’d be lying. It was thoughtful, really, and made Kenma’s chest feel warm knowing that Kuroo has been observing him just as he had the other. 

Using the man's instructions, he took the fancy elevator up to his floor and found himself knocking on the large door. 

“Hello there, stranger.” 

“Please don’t murder me.” A chuckle. 

Kuroo’s expression is soft as he opens the door for him, taking the weight of bags from his hands and bringing them into the apartment. Kenma follows him quietly, slipping his shoes off and onto the shoe rack before padding into the apartment in his socks. 

Kuroo’s place is far more homey than he had expected. Unlike his home, there was furniture decorating the floors and decor all around the room. Upon walking into the front door, there was the main living room, and to the right, a kitchen where Kuroo was now in. The living room was furnished with a large grey couch, one of which had many blankets draped over it and pillows laid symmetrically on it. A tv sat in front of it, along with a long glass table.

His apartment was incredibly modern, but still had a really nice feel to it, it was roomy, but comfortable. 

Kenma couldn’t help but think that it must be lonely living in a home made for more than one occupant. 

“So, kitten, what do you think?” Asked Kuroo, his gaze settled on Kenma’s head, still looking around the room. 

Kenma hugged his arms to his chest and ignored the pet name as he said, “It’s really nice. My entire paycheck, but really nice. Napable, I’d say."

“Perfect! The Kozume Kenma approves of my home and calls it  _ napable _ , god, that is like a blessing straight from heaven! Interior designers are trembling.” 

“Oh my goodness.” 

Kenma took the time to walk over to where Kuroo was standing in the kitchen, soon finding himself bringing the food over to the dining table for the two of them to eat. 

“Thanks for eating with me lately.” Kuroo’s voice randomly cuts through the silence. 

“It’s nothing, really.” He responds with a shrug. 

Kuroo breaks his chopsticks apart before saying, “No, really. I never get to eat with others. Everyone’s always busy, or with their lovers. And this is really nice, that’s all,” He pauses. “I’m also super sorry if it seems like I’m forcing you to be here, or even talk to me—really. You don’t have to keep hanging out with me if you don’t want to.” 

Kenma hadn’t realized that Kuroo felt that way, that he was slightly insecure about Kenma being here. Seeing him lose his confidence made Kenma feel better about worries. He too, felt that maybe Kuroo was doing everything just to be nice. 

“I don’t mind. I also think it’s nice.” And Kenma smiles, just a small smile, to show that he’s being genuine. He couldn’t imagine what Kuroo was thinking when his expressions consisted of a stone cold blank expression or scrunched nose. 

Kuroo beamed at his words, and the two of them ate together quietly. It was oddly domestic. Domestic in the way that the two are sitting in Kuroo’s apartment and sharing a meal together, almost as if they did it everyday of their lives. Kenma wouldn’t have given this up for anything else. 

After they finished eating, and cleaned up after themselves, Kuroo left for a couple minutes saying he had to get something. 

He came back with… two gingerbread houses? Well, more like deconstructed gingerbread houses. 

“Where did you even pull those out from?”

“...It’s a surprise?” 

“We’re really doing this?” The shorter asks incredulously. 

“Yup!”

Approximately 10 minutes later, Kenma is found with frosting smeared across his right cheek and a sad looking gingerbread house.

The two had constructed their gingerbread houses while having light conversation and Kenma had been working on the windows of his house when Kuroo had wiped icing onto his cheek. 

Kuroo laughed with a hand on his stomach once Kenma had crossed his eyes trying to see the frosting. 

Randomly trying to wipe the frosting off his cheek, the taller of the two pulled him in close by the waist and said, “Don’t do that, you’ll ruin your cute little cheeks.” And instead cleaned the icing with his thumb. Kenma didn’t know if it was deliberate, but the other had practically been caressing his cheek. 

Kuroo leans slightly closer, his head dipping down and—

_ Plop _ . 

The sound drew their attention to the gingerbread houses across from them, and realized that Kenma’s house had fallen with a sad plop. Kenma had to be honest and say it looked like a glob of frosting at this point. 

Then Kenma started to giggle. He had no idea  _ why _ , but it just looked hilarious to see his gingerbread fall face first onto the cardboard under it while Kuroo’s stood tall and all perfect like. He was no architect that was for sure. 

Together, the two of them laughed into the night under the bright chandelier.

That night, they stayed indoors and cuddled up under the many blankets placed on Kuroo’s ever so comfortable couch. Wrapped in warmth, with both the blankets and Kuroo’s body heat, he had a hard time fighting off the sleep that was overtaking him. Slowly, he succumbed to his body’s wishes, and fell asleep in Kuroo’s lap. 

———

He awoke the next morning to strong arms encasing his torso, legs weaving around his own, and a thick blanket wrapped around him. The sun shone through the curtains cracks, laying slivers of sunshine to dance on the floorboards. 

Kenma raised his head to see a familiar case of bedhead, and a very familiar jaw line.

Recalling the previous day's events, all he could do was stay where he was. The feeling of being in Kuroo’s arms and under such wonderful warmth was a feeling that he didn’t really feel like letting go of. So instead of slithering out of the tallers grasp, he shut his eyes and burrowed himself into Kuroo’s chest. 

He’ll deal with the morning later.

He in fact did  _ not _ deal with the morning later, as he woke up to empty arms and a blanket placed neatly on top of him. He assumed that Kuroo had only gotten up a little bit earlier than him, given that the couch was still very warm.

At that second, Kuroo came out of the hallway and into the living room with his hair wet. Confirming his suspicions, the black haired man says, “I woke up a little while ago. Sorry for leaving us on the couch, I was going to carry you to my room, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

Kenma merely shakes his head, yawning as he sits up. Kuroo goes to pull back the curtains, and Kenma’s eyes adjust to the bright sunlight slowly.

“Mornin’, sunshine.”

Kenma did a small wave in response, rubbing at his eyes with his sweater clad hands. 

He swore Kuroo’s cheeks turned a shade of pink.

“You hungry? We can go grab something to eat.” The taller asks, padding over to help fold the blankets. 

Shaking his head no, Kenma’s stomach growled. Well there he goes. 

“I’m going to ask again,” Kuroo’s laughs. “Are you hungry?”

“...yes.” Like those movies or cartoons where the character gets a lightbulb over their head when they get an idea, Kenma’s eyes lit up when he thought of something. “Can we eat crepes for breakfast?”

The two have a staring contest. 

Kuroo cracks first. 

“Fine, fine! Let’s go. I can grab you a change of clothes—I shrunk some of my clothes last month, hold on.” Kuroo takes off towards his bedroom, leaving Kenma to sit on the couch. 

Most people would start vigorously texting their friends at this point. But Kenma hadn’t told Akaashi or Hinata about Kuroo, and he didn’t think it was the time yet. Definitely not while he was waiting for Kuroo to grab his clothes— _ Kuroo’s _ clothes—to wear. 

And he really needed to pee. 

Luckily, Kuroo came back at that moment, handing him neatly folded clothes, “The bathroom is down the hall, on the door to the right.” Nodding a thank you, Kenma headed off to the bathroom. 

He came back into the living room 5 minutes later, wearing a shirt 2 sizes too big and pants that fit him, but were a bit long. The clothes smelled really nice, like fresh linen, and with both pieces of clothing being slightly on the larger side, he felt almost as if he was engulfed by warmth. 

The two left the apartment together, Kuroo locking the door behind them. 

They walked to a park, and continued to walk through a path surrounded by snow covered trees as they ate their crepes in hand. 

“Did you ever want to be something else growing up? Other than a gamer, of course.” Kuroo asked, his breath created that fog that comes with the cold weather. 

Kenma paused, lost in thought before replying, “A poet.” 

The words made Kuroo’s eyes flick to his, his head turning with an eyebrow raised. “Care to explain?”

“There was something about it,” Kenma turned to his left, looking up at the snow suddenly falling from the sky. “There’s something so beautiful about it, I guess. The way it’s crafted, the way it’s thought out and heartfelt. And how there was no communication needed. Poets wrote from their own minds, making metaphors and writing oxymorons. You would always know the meanings and stories you wrote behind your poems,others didn’t, they’d interpret them in their own ways.”

Kenma left those words unsaid, keeping them for himself. It was another reason he enjoyed writing poetry; he built things up and didn’t talk to others about them, but poetry gave him an outlet. 

“Huh…” 

“Sorry for rambling! I didn’t mean to-”

“No, no, it’s alright. I like listening to you talk about things you enjoy. You get this sparkle in your eye.” Kuroo moves to hold Kenma’s empty hand. 

“Did you ever want to be something else?”

“Yeah, a chemist.” 

Now it was Kenma’s turn to raise an eyebrow. 

“I set my stove on fire and wanted to know what happened. And then, I saw a video of these guys exploding things. Thought it was cool.” Kuroo shrugged as if he didn’t just admit he wanted to be a Chemist because he thought fire and explosives looked ‘ _ cool’.  _

“Oh, and then I tried a youtube tutorial with a homemade sparkler thing–”

The rest of the date was spent with the two of them having conversation down that path, but at one point, the two of them were terribly cold. Deciding that they were going to part ways, Kenma was about to turn around when Kuroo said, 

“Tomorrow’s Christmas.” 

_ What? _

Tomorrow is Christmas? Has it been 6 days already? The days had passed by like nothing, and their dates blurred into each other like it was an everyday occurrence. 

Kuroo spoke again, “Am I Christmas worthy?” 

God, he was  _ more _ than Christmas worthy. Kuroo had slipped himself into Kenma’s life, and had become someone Kenma couldn’t pretend he didn’t have feelings for. Kuroo, was well, he was himself. He spoke with ease, and he made sure Kenma was comfortable at all times, and he was just so, so  _ good _ . 

“More than.”

“More than Christmas worthy?” 

“Far more.”

———

Kenma realized that he had spent time on Christmas Eve with Kuroo. That meant a lot. Christmas Eve was like the Japanese version of Valentines day. 

He thought that after going on dates with the same person for almost a week and seeing someone for 6 consecutive days, he would’ve been at least a little bit annoyed by their presence. But, he wasn’t. Surprisingly enough, he wasn’t the least bit tired of Kuroo’s presence. In fact, he really enjoyed Kuroo’s presence. And if he hadn’t seen him just two hours prior, he may have even said he missed him in all his bed-headed glory. 

Normally on Christmas Eve, Kenma would be at Akaashi’s or Hinata’s place, with bags full of blankets and pillows along with bags of sweets and snacks, ready for a Christmas filled with lounging around. 

But this time around, Kenma kind of wanted to do something else. It wasn’t a spark of motivation, or an urge to leave his apartment. More so, it was an urge to make a bigger, better memory. 

First things first, he had some gifts to drop off. 

He went to Hinata’s first, waiting for the door to open, he was soon pulled into a tight hug by a shorter ginger. Kenma gave him his Christmas gift along with something for Kageyama, before insisting he didn’t need to stay any longer. 

Afterward, he went to Akaashi’s to do the exact same. Akaashi hadn’t opened the door by giving him a bear hug, but he thanked him for the gifts with a smile. 

“Hey! Before you go, don’t forget you promised me you’d tell me about this person you’re talking to.”

“Who said I’m talking to anyone?”   


“You can’t fool me, I’m one of your best friends.”

Both of them made sure he went home with a gift in hand, and on his wrist. 

Kenma got home and cooked himself a simple meal, and then went to stream. He didn’t plan on streaming the day after, so he made sure to say his Merry Christmases to those who celebrated it, and wished them all a Happy Holidays. He streamed for over 5 hours and sighed once it was over, slumping into his chair. 

Tired, Kenma plopped his weight onto his bed with a thunk, ignoring the ache in his arms, he changed into pajamas and fell asleep content and early. 

———

Kenma woke up refreshed. More refreshed than he has ever been, and it felt nice. Gleeful, almost. 

7:30:  _ Bedhead man _ : Good morning!

8:34: Kenma: morning

8:35:  _ Bedhead man _ : You’re awake early

8:36: Kenma: yes i fell asleep early

8:37:  _ Bedhead man _ : What time do you want to meet? And where?

8:37: Kenma: 7 pm

8:38: Kenma: a white van will pick u up

8:38: Kenma: they may offer candy ;)

8:39:  _ Bedhead man _ : Kenma what the fuck

8:40 Kenma: just getting into the christmas spirit

* _ Kenma has sent a location _ *

8:37:  _ Bedhead man _ : That’s better. See you then

Kenma spent the time before meeting Kuroo by staying in bed a lot longer on his psp than necessary, and then watched movies himself while consuming food he ordered. 

He was a little nervous about seeing Kuroo, but that was normal. He felt like he was looking forward to seeing Kuroo more than how nervous he was, and well, that meant a lot. 

He already went on a date with him everyday for almost a week after talking to him  _ once. _ No regrets anymore. 

At 6:20, he made his way over to the location he sent Kuroo. 

———

In front of Kenma stood a tall Christmas tree. By tall, he means  _ tall _ . It looked to be far larger than a house, and was decorated in a ray of colours, the lights wrapped around it shining and the tinsel hugged the tree tightly. 

This was what made Christmas feel like  _ Christmas. _ It was gorgeous, so serene yet so magnificent. The sight of the tree filled Kenma with that familiar warmth, and it spread throughout his body like an old friend. 

At the base of the Christmas tree where Kenma stood, was barricades that made sure you couldn’t get too close. And a knee deep water fountain surrounding the tree, almost as if the tree was the fountain itself. The water rippled as the wind blew, and the tree’s pines swayed slightly with the breeze. 

The sight was breathtaking, captivating in a way that other sights weren’t. 

“Hello, angel.” Came a familiar voice. 

“Kuro.” 

“Now that one is new.” Kenma’s heart squeezed at the sight of Kuroo. The man stood with his entire body facing Kenma and the large decorated tree, and the lights shone down onto his face and body, illuminating him in that glow. Was  _ Kenma _ really the angel here?

The taller man moved the extra steps to stand next to Kenma, slotting his hand into his without even looking down at their hands. 

Kenma didn’t feel so empty anymore. That missing piece he was stressing over? It was here with him.

Kenma took the time to just watch the Christmas tree for a little while longer, taking in the sight, drinking in the delightful sight with as much attention as possible. Pretty as a picture. That’s what this was. He wanted to imprint the sight into his mind, etch an invisible tattoo into his brain of Kuroo standing beside the tree. Wanting to stay in the moment for as long as he could. 

Taking his eyes off of the tree to look at Kuroo, he merely met eyes with him. The other having looked at him previously. 

Kenma raised his eyebrows in a silent question. 

“You’re prettier than this tree.” He replied, a grin gracing his face. Kenma could feel his cheeks warm with the statement. “You had this amazed look on your face. I just wanted to make sure remembered it for later.” 

“I think it’s quite beautiful, as well.” 

“Hey, kitten?” 

He hummed. 

“Thanks for the Christmas present.”

“What—”

Their lips met.

Kuroo had grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him in. 

Their lips slot together sweetly. It was incredibly gentle and soft, hot compared to the cold around them. Kenma closed his eyes and moved his arms to wrap around Kuroo’s torso. Their warm bodies pressed against each other. 

The two kissed until they ran out of breath, pulling away, their eyes met. Kenma was sure that his pinks were stained a bright pink, and it wasn’t from the cold. 

But Kuroo? Kuroo was practically  _ shining _ . His lips were slightly wet from the kiss, and his eyes looked like he just received the best Christmas present of his life. 

This was the best Christmas Kenma could’ve ever received. He didn’t have any regrets. Not one.

Kuroo made all the change worth it. Made change look like the best thing to happen to him, and maybe he doesn’t have anything against change anymore. Change wasn’t so scary anymore, change was merely a push in the right direction.

That direction was Kuroo. 

———

Three Christmases later, Kuroo still had the mittens Kenma gave him all those year ago in the elevator. 

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, I must thank you for clicking on my fic. I'm so glad that it's finally out here, and I hope you all enjoyed the journey along the way. 
> 
> Much appreciation to those who leave kudos and comments! Your comments always make my day, and I'm guilty to say that I've cried after reading the comments on my other published works. Your love and support means the world to me! (It motivates me to write, so thank you so much!)
> 
> If you haven't heard it today, you're beautiful and loved <3
> 
> Happy Holidays, everyone! Stay safe and healthy!


End file.
